Closure for fluid-receptacles.



L. R. SCHIEFER.

CLOSURE FOR FLUID RECEPTACLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 6.1915.

Y Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

r- .3 1 9 14 13351 .16 Ii! 4 1 Z ./4- l 4 i I! INVENTOR.

A TTOR NE YS.

an srn rns PATEN '1 'G LAWRENCE B. SCHIEFER, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE E. EATON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

Application filed November 6, 1915. Serial No. 59,908.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE R. Somnr'nn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and State ofIndiana, have invented new and 4 useful Improvements in Closures forFluid- Receptacles, of which the following is a specification. Theinvention relates to devices for automatically closing the dischargeopenings of fluid receptacles. It is Common practice 'to store toothpaste, paints and other fluids in a semi-viscous state, in pliable metaltubes which are compressed by the hand to eject a quantity of thecontents. So far as I am aware all such tubes are provided with adischarge opening, usually at the top of the neck which is closed by acap, which cap is internally threaded and engaged on the externallythreaded neck of the tube. In some cases the cap is merely held infrictional engagement with the neck. In all such the cap must be removedbefore the contents may be discharged and must be returned thereafter inorder that the contents of the tube shall remain sanitary and beprevented from unintentionally discharging from the tube. The threadingof the neck of the tube and the cap adds materially to the cost of thetube and the frictionally held cap is very unsatisfactory andinefficient. The object of my invention is to provide a receptacle forfluids of the class described with means'by which its discharge openingshall be automatically closed upon the re-' lease of the pressure whichis exerted upon the tube to discharge its contents, and there-'byprovide a sanitary as well as a self-closing receptacle.

In the drawings I illustrate the applica-.

tion of my invention to a pliable tube which is adapted to be compressedby the hand of the user to discharge the contents of the same and inwhich Figure 1 is an elevational view of a tube, partly in section andprovided with the invention; Fig. 2 a fractional cross-section of thetube illustrating the closing means at the time of discharge of the tubecontents. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the cap; Fig. 4 a verticalcross-section of the cap; Fig. 5 a

plan view of the valve; Fig. 6 a plan view I of a modified form of cap;Fig- 7 a plan view of the valve for the discharge opening of the lattermodification and Fig. 8 a fractional cross-sectional view of amodification of the closing means.

Referring to the drawings 10 is any form of pliable tube having one end11 closed in suitable manner. The opposite end terminates in a neck 12having a discharge slot 13 in its top. The closing means consists of .acap 14 provided with a slot 15 in its top, the cap being adapted to fitsnugly over the neck. Suitably secured within the cap and against itstop is a valve 16 formed preferably of rubber although it may be made ofany suitable flexible material. For a tube having a longitudinaldischarge opening the valve is formed by providing a slit 1.7 in thecenter of a sheet of the material and two parallel slits 18 at oppositeends of slit 17 thereby providing two flaps 19 which serve as the valveand which are immediately over the discharge opening in neck 12 andunderneath opening 15 in cap 14, opening 15 being wider than opening 13so that when the tube is compressed its discharging contents willelevate the two flaps or force them apart into aperture 15 and permitthe contents to pass out through opening 13 and opening 15 in the cap.Upon releasing the pressure upon the tube the flaps instantly closetogether or fall .into juxtaposition and thereby close both openings l5and 13 against the further discharge of the tube contents.

In Figs. 6 and 7 where the tube has a round discharge opening, ,cap 20is provided with a similar opening 21 and the valve 22 is formed by asingle flap 23 which is provided by a curved slit 24 in the sheet ofmaterial. The cap in both cases is placed on the neck with the valveresting on the top of the neck, and for shipping or storing purposes apiece of paper or sticker could be pasted over opening 15 or 21 whichthe ultimate user would break or tear ofl.

In Fig. 8 I have eliminated the cap andinserted the valve within theneck itself where it operates precisely as before. I prefer the cap,however, as it is more convenient to insert the valve into it than intothe neck.

It is evident that as the flap valve closes up upon the release ofpressure upon the tube the contents of the tube are protected fromcontamination and will not escape un- I contemplate applying the valvein a similar manner to all containers where the same may be applicable.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a collapsible tube having a discharge orifice,of a cap secured to the tube and over the orifice and having a dischargeorifice in alinement with the first named orifice, two flap-valvessecured to the inner face of the cap and adapted to be forced outwardlythrough and exteriorly of the discharge orifice in the cap by the movingcontents of the tube when the tube is compressed and to automaticallyretract and close said opening lease of said compressing force.

2. The combination with a collapsible tube having adischargc orifice ofa cap seupon the rel muses cured to the tube andover the orifice andhaving a. discharge orifice in alinement with the first named orifice, adiaphragm secured tube with the opposite walls of the said orifice, thesaid flap-s upon the releaseof pressure on the tube automaticallyretracting and closing saidv orifice.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 4th day ofNovember, 1915.

LAWRENCE R. SCHIEFER.

